


Captured

by LokiDepp



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, F/M, Infinity War AU, Mental Coercion, Past Character Death, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Slow Burn, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:27:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiDepp/pseuds/LokiDepp
Summary: AU Cannon set after Thor Ragnarock. What if Loki hadn't been killed? If he had been taken by Thanos and tortured for his failure of conquering Earth, Captured, he meets a broken mortal woman in desperate need of rescue. He soon realises her worth; she may just be the key to their escape. If only she hadn't been taken 6 years earlier, in the Battle of New York.....
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All marvel characters and movies are owned by Marvel. The only character I own is Grace.  
> This is my first proper go of writing fanfiction, any constructive criticism or lovely comments are much appreciated. I've written 16,000 words so far and will update bi-weekly if possible and if anyone actually reads it! (I work full time Monday-Friday 9 til 5 so if updates are late I apologise but I must be really busy)  
> The first few chapters are backstory of the OC Grace just a quick heads up.  
> Thank you so much for taking the time to check this out.  
> Jess

The holding cell was cold and dark, icy liquid dripped from the ceiling onto the makeshift cot Grace was huddled on. It was as hard as a table with a thin, damp blanket thrown across it, although that was the least of her worries. Her mind ached, a constant throb from the last round of torture her guards had put her through. She knew one of her tormentors all too well, he was one of Thanos’ high up minions; the General, he called himself, but the way he treated her was nothing like the military standards she knew on earth. Earth, home, she thought with a heavy sigh, it seemed so far away now, a lifetime ago. A distant memory of normal, happy life.

She remembered violently the day she was taken. It was one of the only memories the general hadn’t twisted and destroyed, perhaps he through it was frightening enough without interference. She had been in New York with her parents the day the sky opened, it was a present for her 21st birthday. They’d been looking forward to it since it was booked a year before. Grace remembered clearly how much they had saved and scraped by just to afford it. She’d counted every penny from her saving jars to make this trip happen, her tiny little box room in Yorkshire, England was filled with posters of New York, it was her dream back then, to see the big apple and go to Central Park. She loved the hustle and bustle of the city; one minute you’re watching a show on Broadway, the next you’re viewing the New York skyline from the Empire State Building. Her mother had been working two jobs and her dad all the overtime he could get while Grace worked extra part-time waitressing just so they could stay near the city centre for the full week. They were staying in a little apartment on the corner of Central Park and had gone out to a café near all the high rises at the heart of the city for her birthday lunch. Big mistake. 

Grace shook the memory away, that’s all gone now. It was so prominent to her, it was the last of many things for her; the last time she’d smiled, laughed, seen her mum and dad. The next thing she remembered was the sight of her knees at the feet of her lifeless parents, her vision severely blurred from sobbing that racked her body. The Chitauri entered the café soon after the chaos started, almost like they made a beeline towards it, but Grace knew that wasn’t the case, they were destroyers and they were hungry for blood. Her parents had shielded her from the army of savage beings headed through the door and sacrificed themselves while Grace ran and hid like a coward, she added internally. In the aftermath, staring at her mother’s necklace, bloodied and spoiled, she was livid, a blood boiling anger raged through her entire body. Without thinking, she got to her feet and ran, trying to find one of those bastards responsible, to make them pay. How reckless she had been. She wasn’t prepared when she ran straight into the back of the creature, she knew now to be the general, she ricocheted off him, her head colliding with the concrete beneath her.

That’s the last she remembered before waking here in this dank, depressing hell. She had expected rescue at first, how stupid, she thought, even if they knew where I was, they can’t get to me, hell, they probably think I’m dead. But her captors were clever, they would bring her to brink of death, but they wouldn’t give her the sweet release of it. Apparently, she was needed for more. Almost daily they would drag her from the cot by her hair, arms, legs and snatch her from fitful sleep, carry her to their arena of agony, as she called it, where they would strap her into something resembling a hospital bed and inject her with what looked like tar. It burned through her veins and made her heart beat sluggishly. All throughout she’d scream and thrash until the sounds were all too familiar in her ears. They’d force open her eyes and ram the tar in, every time she would ask “why are you doing this? What is that? Why is it burning me?” but they would just laugh and speak in some foreign tongue she didn’t understand. For hours she’d fight her restraints, her vision failing and her chest heaving so ferociously she often thought her heart would give out from the sheer strain. All the while they would laugh, and hit her, not stopping until she inevitably lost consciousness. Later she would wake in her cell, wet through, covered in that awful tar like substance, dry heaving bile, completely blind. It was in these moments that Grace learned her first lesson, don’t let them see that they’re winning. Of course, she wanted nothing more than to wallow in self-pity – in fact she had for god knows how long – but they would just laugh and mock. No, instead of being miserable and helpless, she understood she had to be strong and furious. 

Using this new-found anger, she shuffled her way toward the far corner of the room, where there was a makeshift toilet and sink with a mirror and a singular flickering light above it. The mirror was rusted and cracked but she needed to see the damage done this time around. The markings were getting worse. Black vein-like markings riddled her body, concentrating around her deep brown eyes and at the base of her spine; the main injection sites. She hardly recognized the person staring back at her, her irises were getting darker, almost black now, her face was completely void of colour, her lips virtually white and crusted from constant dehydration. Her long brown hair fell flat around her face, she longed to wash it but there were no such luxuries here, there was only water. She managed to wash herself but that was it, people at home would say she was a hippy making a statement when the fact was, hell didn’t have razor. If there were, I wouldn’t be shaving my legs, she thought sarcastically. But from all this, Grace strangely felt stronger, her muscles felt firmer and poised like her body would react so much faster than before. When her eyesight did eventually return, her eyes ached like they were continuously straining, but she could remember images like pictures in her mind so clearly, her memory was always photographic, but this was like high definition. These were the subtle gradual changes that Grace had time to accept, but there were two big alien changes to her mind and body that she wasn’t quite ready to admit yet.

The first was that she could see literally energy and manipulate it to heal her injuries after particularly cruel meetings with the General. It’s almost as if she could take energy stored in her muscles and move it to her wounds, healing them at a faster than normal pace. She kept this to herself, she’d seen many an alien solider brought through with gaping injuries and missing limbs. She never moved to help them. That is if she could even heal others, she hadn’t explored this new part of herself and the last thing she wanted was to be exploited by her kidnappers. She didn’t want to be useful or to aid their cause. It was cruel. They destroyed New York and killed her parents, she wouldn’t help them. 

The second change just downright scared her. She recalled the day she first felt it with a shudder. This was the reason she never spoke, never made a sound, she didn’t want them to figure it out. She couldn’t be certain that they didn’t know already so she kept her mouth shut just in case. The first time she’d noticed it she had just come back from a mental thrashing with the General, it was like a pulsing in her head almost migraine like, surging from the top of her head to the base of her spine. Since then it had been a constant pressure, a painful reminder that something was going on inside her head that she had no control over and no idea what it was. Before she went to sleep every night since it had whispered to her, like a desperate but gentle nagging in her mind, frustratingly it was a language she couldn’t understand. The only thing she knew for certain was every time she acknowledged its presence; her body went cold.  
She was shaken from her thoughts when the vent under her cell door snapped open and her meal for the day was rammed through, causing some to spill on the dirty floor. Unidentified meat and weird potatoes, what a surprise, Grace thought sarcastically it was barely edible, but this was all she was ever offered. At first, she would leave it untouched, but she quickly learned there was no alternative. She ate quickly trying not to taste it and went to the sink to wash her mouth out, she quickly caught sight of her clothes and recoiled, her underweight frame was barely covered by the ripped black material, on earth she would compare it to a knee-length nightgown, but here it was some sort of alien tunic. Her feet were bare and black with dirt, but they were always cold. Grace had forgotten the comforting sensation of being warm, the thought brought a sadness to the surface again threating to spill, she blinked rapidly to disperse the tears. No more crying she thought, not here, not until I’m out of this place ‘cause if I start now, I’ll never stop.

Grace paced the room before settling back onto the hard surface of her bed, clearing her mind carefully, trying to avoid the whispering but to no avail. It was there, present as always, like a gentle caress, oddly soothing her troubled mind. Grace fell into a deep and fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Grace's torture, the beginning of plot in terms of Thanos' plans for her....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys, 
> 
> Thank you for the Kudos and comments!
> 
> This one is a little short I know, but the next chapter will come early, my Christmas present to you, perhaps a certain God of mischief will rear his head! Graphic details of violence and torture once more.  
> I own only Grace's character, all rest are owned my Marvel. 
> 
> Enjoy,  
> Jess

A hammering on the cell jolted her awake. “Up! Now!” the General demanded, Grace jumped up confused, he’s speaking English? she asked herself, she’d never understood a single word from his mouth before. He would voice himself in English in her head during the torture sessions, telling her that Thanos had plans for her, that she had been saved by the mighty Titan, Thanos, that she should be so grateful a lowly creature as herself had been saved by his majesty, but he had never spoken English to her before. He entered the cell and gestured roughly for her to follow him. The walk through the corridors was agony on her bare feet, but she made herself stay alert as to try and memorise the pathways before her, even though she was certain the general would erase all recollection during their next session. Grace wondered where she was being taken, she couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t been dragged to her sessions of torment, this was strange; to walk freely, it put her on edge.

They rounded the corner to a large open space, the room was circular with many doors leading off in all directions, in the centre was a large throne built up on what looked like stone, a large body of water surrounding it. The huge purple being on the throne made her body shake with anxiety, unnerving her to the core. Thanos, the mad titan. The General urged her forwards with a sharp shove to the shoulders, her entire body screaming for her to run, but she was paralyzed with apprehension. She kept her eyes down at her feet as she approached him, hands by her sides, her bones trembling under her skin. “Ah, my little pet, what a pleasant meeting, I have been wondering about you… How is she progressing?” Thanos spoke softly to her, it was sickening but when directing his question to the General his voice grew sharp and demanding. “She’s on track my liege, she will become useful to you soon my lord,” the General sneered obediently. Thanos leaned forward towards her then, scrutinizing her small frame “I’m not a patient man, little one, you’re beginning to get on my nerves. Up her treatments I grow weary of waiting,” he smiled horrifically at her then and dismissed them with a flick of his hand. The General dragged her back the way they’d came, Grace didn’t resist she was too frightened, questions thrashed around her brain; up the treatments? Waiting for what? What are they going to do to me now? I can’t take much more of this. The General lead her straight to the room with the hospital bed and proceeded to tie her down, Grace stayed silent and focused her mind, clearing it of all that was happening around her. She was blocking everything out and forcing her body to go numb so she wouldn’t acknowledge the pain and wouldn’t let them have the satisfaction of relishing in her torment. By the time the General got to the head brace, she was numb, her mind empty and her eyes staring unfocused at the shadowy ceiling above her. The treatment started as usual, a needle at the base of her spine though a gap in the bed, but they came in quick succession, they injected her with at least 5 times the normal dosage, causing agony above anything she’d ever experienced and shoved the alien tar all over her face, she could barely breathe through it. At some point her resolve broke and she was reduced to a sobbing, shivering mess, only stopping screaming to force air into her lungs. She could feel her heart in her ears struggling to carry the thick unknown liquid through her body to her vital organs, every pump brought forth another burst of agony, her head felt as though it would split in half, the pounding getting stronger and stronger, spiralling, until all she remembered was black.

Something wrong she thought warily was she regained conscious. Her eyes snapped open in shock, revealing her old room back in England, she was sat her bed, with its plush sheets and soft pillows. I can see? And the pain in my head is gone, this isn’t right it’s just a dream she told herself. Except everything was exactly how she remembered, it smelt like home. Feeling uneasy she stood and scanned the room, her wardrobe was half open blocked by all her jumpers and dresses, her dressing table was covered in New York brochures, a pouch of dollars at the side of it, her bed was semi-made, crinkled from where she’d sat, the grey tartan pattern morphed from the weight of her, it was like she’d never left. “Sweetheart, are you up? Breakfast time! I made poached eggs,” MUM! Grace flung open the door and ran downstairs to the kitchen, her mum was stood with her back to her, whilst her dad was stood watching a rugby match. “What’s the rush? You could’ve fallen down the stairs,” her dad told her, a mock seriousness to his tone, he was the best what-if-er in the world, it had made Grace grow to be a very cautious adult, always assessing risk before making a decision. Grace was speechless she studied her parents suspiciously, it was like it had all been a bad dream. Her mother pushed her short brown hair from her bright green eyes as she served up breakfast, gesturing for her father to take the places to the table. He jokingly pushed past her, dark eyes warm with laughter as he set the table, there were 4 plates at the table “who’s coming for breakfast?” Grace voiced, finally able to find the strength to speak without being choked up. “Me,” an all too familiar voice spoke into her ear, she jumped back, it was the General, he grabbed her shoulders and all but threw her into the chair. Grace was petrified and sat stone-still hands gripping the edge of the table. 

“What? You thought this was real? Ha! You’re too easily fooled child, you will need to get stronger. Don’t worry, I will help with that. You’re my master’s special project, to fail him would cost me my head and you will not bring me failure. Every time you are tricked by illusions such as these you will be punished. You will soon learn not to disappoint me. You’re pathetic, what my Lord sees in you? I’ll never understand. It is not my place to question his majesty. But it my place to break you,” his face grew sinister and Grace shrunk back in terrifying anticipation with a flick of his wrists he presented two long blades into his hands. He moved so quickly Grace didn’t have time to react, he lunged over the table and slit her father’s throat, blood exploding onto the table, splattering everywhere. Grace was horrified at the sight, screaming and sobbing, her eyes followed him, unable to look away as he reached her mother and jammed the knife into her chest.  
She woke with a start, choking on her own blood and vomit she quickly turned to the side so she wouldn’t suffocate. Her eyesight was completely black again and her brain throbbed so painfully she couldn’t move her head. So, she just laid there, covered in bile, breathing heavily against the stone-cold floor. Tears flowed from her eyes uncontrollably, that wasn’t the first time he’d messed with her memories, but it had never been so real, she mourned her parents all over again, for hours she just laid there, motionless trying to shake the memory from her mind with no luck. “We will repeat tomorrow, rest. Next time I won’t be so kind,” the General voiced into her head, Grace visibly winced but other than that, didn’t acknowledge him. She curled herself into a ball, quickly using her energy transfer to soothe her banging head and aching body and passed out from exhaustion, the nagging in her head growing louder and more desperate.

The weeks following continued like this, the torture growing in intensity with each session, doses doubling by the day, Grace was powerless against her restraints, choking and spluttering on the black substance that coated her throat and burned through her stomach, her head screamed in pain until she couldn’t take anymore. The mental trainings weren’t much better, every time she was fooled, she would watch her parents die, sometimes it would be in New York, others she would be in past parents evening at school; The General would sit her there and slowly massacre everyone she’d every cared about. Other, particularly cruel times, he would manipulate the memories completely, her mother would scream “You ruined our lives!” or “I wish I’d never had you!” or “You make me want to kill myself,” she’d practically spit at Grace, shoving and hitting her. He’d falsify her father images too, he would scream in her face, vile, angry words that made her whimper and cry uncontrollably, things she’d always thought deep inside herself, nasty self-deprecating feelings all teenagers feel, but in that moment, with her father bellowing her darkest judgments of herself, she broke. Her resolve shattering into a thousand pieces in that moment, nothing, she was nothing, her mind went dark in these moments, bringing her crashing back to reality only when she awoke in her cell, alone and shivering. 

The voice in her mind was growing stronger by the day, she could hear it very clearly now. Recently she was in such a state from the mental beating that she was starting to understand it, it was powerful but gentle and soothed her troubled mind slightly. It was enough that she could rest in dreamless sleep before her next session began. It always became louder when she was panicking or in distress, while it couldn’t take the pain away or calm her completely, but she didn’t feel so alone when it was present, it willed her to carry on, told her she could survive this, and she’d be stronger for it. Grace desperately wanted to believe that, otherwise what had it all been for? She gritted her teeth through every session holding on for as long as her consciousness would cope and healed herself the best she could in the aftermath. She would endure this, the person Grace had been was long gone, replaced by a tougher, damaged shadow of her former self.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction of a well loved character. The Plot thickens....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to have a read and let me know what you think, your lovely comments give me such inspiration!  
> Merry Christmas everyone!!!!  
> Jess   
> xxx

“Honestly, I’m not going anywhere, there’s little need for such brutal-“ the sound of a fist connecting with hard flesh jolted Grace awake. Her eyes flying open, surprised to hear a somewhat English accent. She whipped her head around and propped herself up on her elbows but otherwise stayed as still as possible, not wanting to attract any more attention. She couldn’t believe her eyes; in the cell adjoining, splayed on the floor was a man! She couldn’t see his face as he was turned the other way, but he was dressed in some sort of dark leather from the tip of his black long hair to his boots. The man groaned and pushed himself up until he was seated on the floor looking down at his ankle before pulling at the device around it, when he touched it, it flashed red and he seemed to recoil from it, strange, maybe it shocked him? she pondered. The man sighed heavily and began looking around the room, taking in his surroundings until his eyes settled upon Grace, she could literally feel his eyes sizing her up, it made her uncomfortable and she looked away, breaking the contact. He began speaking a language she didn’t understand his mouth dancing around strange vowels, he signed trying a completely different tongue, this time more demanding and harsher. “Let me guess, Midgardian? By the Norns, how did you end up here?” he voiced sharply at her, like speaking hurt his throat. Grace stayed silent, this is just another test she thought I will not fail again. She felt herself tense at his question, anxious to avoid another treatment quite this soon after the last What on earth is a Midgardian anyway? She added, weary of him due to his hostile tone. “Hello? Are you mute? Are you from Earth? Yes or No?” he nodded then shook his head slowly for emphasis. Her eyes widened at his question how does he know about Earth? Grace, no, this is another test, keep your mouth shut! She screamed to herself. He noticed her recognition of earth, he was intrigued as to how this pathetically weak-looking mortal had ended up here. He could see her obvious distress and decided on a softer approach. He raised his hands appearing to look innocent. “Look, it’s alright, I can barely stand I’m not going to hurt you, you have my word on that,” he placed his right hand over his heart almost comically “Could I please have your name?” she reeled at his sudden change in tone, feeling a little dizzy at his approach, one moment he was cold and cruel, the next he was gracious and polite. Grace’s mind was swimming with questions; is this a test? Who is he? Why is he acting so indecisive? She shook her head, denying his request she wasn’t about to trust a stranger, she still couldn’t be sure that this wasn’t the General toying with her, the constant hum in her mind tried to soothe her panic, trying to communicate calm, peace and trust but Grace didn’t believe it, she had let her guard down too many times here. 

Before Grace could utter a word, the General and two of his vile henchmen appeared at the end of the corridor. Without a word, they forced open her cell and dragged her from it, the torture sessions were about to begin again for the day “I see you’ve met the failed prince. Pathetic,” the General voiced mentally as he bound her to the bed, but she had no time to ponder this as the nightmarish treatments started once more. 

Loki relayed the day’s events in his mind, he was worried for Thor’s well being. The last he’d seen of him, he was encased in metal binding from the ship’s infrastructure, wounded and bleeding from his temple. From the explosion that followed, Loki could only assume Thor hadn’t fared well. But he wouldn’t give up hope just yet, his brother had gotten himself out of many a trial before, he could survive once more. 

He was intrigued, who was this Midgardian mortal and what was she doing here? From the look of her, she’d been here a while. She was severely malnourished and obviously served as the host of an unknown alien virus; her frail body covered in mysterious, extraordinary markings, Loki wondered what power was coursing through her veins at this very moment, the thought excited him. Power was a great motivator, it provoked dark thoughts to stir within his mind. Feeling perplexed, he pondered how long she had been here, the girl looked positively terrified and elated simultaneously at the discovery his presence. She had obviously been seized from Midgard, chosen specifically perhaps, the Mighty Thanos had plans it would seem, beyond the infinity stones? He could only hazard to guess any one of the infinite possibilities that were raging inside the Mad Titan’s head. She looked young, although her features were at present sharp with starvation, he could see the potential of good diet softening them, presenting her obvious youth, bringing back the colour to her cheeks, restoring her to her former self. At current, she looked strikingly broken, regarding him with such caution, it would take a good deal of this tricks and silver tongue for her to trust him in the slightest. 

Loki stood slowly, head spinning from the device around his ankle, which was slowly draining his sorcery, making him weak and weary, and perched on the edge of the makeshift bed. Everything had happened in a blur, one second himself and Thor were discussing returning to Earth; his brother forgetting the resentment Midgard held of him, and the next all hell broke loose, his people massacred before his eyes, and for what? The Tesseract Loki may have acquired while placing the skull of Surtur in the eternal flame, how it came into his possession he claimed no recollection of such matters. However, his love for his brother had won the battle of wills, he could not live with himself if he had been responsible for Thor’s death as well as his adoptive parents, the guilt weighed heavy on his heart as it was. Thanos had not forgotten Loki’s failure on Earth, insisting on a slow painful death as opposed to quick justice, so he had brought Loki back to the mothership he knew all too well. He knew intimately of the trials the girl was going though as he’d had a year of it, mind manipulation and senseless torture, shaping him into the shattered villain who tried to conquer New York with the Chitauri. He completely understood the bitterness the humans held for him now, in the back of his mind was a pathetic dream, a glimmer that he could redeem himself, although that seemed virtually impossible now. 

He was ripped from his thoughts by the return of the girl, unconscious over the General’s shoulder. He all but threw her into her cell, her shoulder and face taking the brunt of the fall. She collapsed into a heap, her face was covered in a black substance Loki didn’t recognise, even comatose her body jerked in discomfort. He cringed internally and turned to face the monstrous creature “You’re next,” he hissed grotesquely in Loki’s mind. 

“I don’t doubt it; however, I feel my services are further valuable at Thanos’ side, I have information of Earth the All Mighty Thanos could use to his advantage,” Loki reasoned, appearing calm and trustworthy. 

“HA! You jest, our saviour would never trust a traitor of his own throne, you failed miserably, Frost Giant. I hold this lowly mortal in higher respect than you,” he sneered, stepping toward Loki’s cell. 

“Ah yes, the human, tell me, what is she to our great leader? Her body is clearly not compatible to host such a virus. Look closely, she’s dying by the second; malnourished and lank, I’d be surprised if she lasted the week!” Loki scoffed back, vengeful hatred clear in his blue eyes. 

“That is not for you to know or assume, wretched Jotun. KNOW YOUR PLACE BEFORE I AM FORCED TO REMIND YOU OF IT!” the General smashed his fist against Loki’s cell before stalking back the way he’d entered. Loki stared in his direction for mere moments before his attention was caught by the girl regaining consciousness. She coughed severely, struggling to pull air into her lungs, Loki could practically smell the pungent odour of fear rising from her limp body. She wrapped her arms around herself curling away from him involuntarily. She struggled for a while, the seconds dragging by agonisingly slow. Then, quite remarkably, her breathing calmed suddenly, and she relaxed her position, slowly dragging her hands, palm down, beneath her she pushed herself onto her knees and threw her head into her hands, groaning quietly with her shoulders shaking violently for several moments. “Are you still there?” she whispered almost inaudibly, Loki would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been entirely focused on her. “I’m here,” Loki replied gently, the girl was in pain, scared and alone, a harsher tactic would prove useless on her. Loki had learned early on that anyone could be manipulated and coerced; it was a game he had mastered. Some would resist for some time, enjoying the chase, but in the end all of them had the potential to aid to him, Loki felt he was sitting on a goldmine with her, he just had to bide his time. He decided a softer approach would prove more beneficial, trust could be earned over time. The girl unsteadily got to her feet then arms reached out in front of her, waving them about quite comically. He was about to ask what she was doing when he saw her face clearly, his mouth snapped shut. Her eyes where completely pitch black, her brow furrowed as she tried to make it across the room at a painstakingly slow pace. “Are you alright?” he asked hesitantly, careful not to spook her, whatever had taken a hold of her body seemed quite unstable. “Yeah, I’m ok I’m just trying to get to, ah,” she breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching her rusted crooked bedframe quickly manoeuvring and sitting on the edge. “It’s temporary,” she breathed eyes cast down, relived to be off the floor “Why does he call you the failed prince?” she added cautiously. 

“It’s not of your concern,” he told her quickly unwilling to divulge, she nodded. 

“How did you get here?” she asked instead, voice course and thick with emotion. She stared vaguely in his direction her eyes never focusing. 

“Thanos decided a quick death was unworthy of one such as myself, I’m Loki, and you are?” 

“Grace. It’s so weird speaking to someone, there’s never been anyone else here,” she confessed wringing her hands. “Is that so? How long have you been here?” he questioned, prodding for more information. 

“Honestly, I don’t know, are you from earth? Do you know what happened there?” 

“I am familiar with Earth and it’s traditions, yes,” he confirmed gently, keeping his voice even, hoping she wouldn’t pick up on his avoidance of her second query. 

“Well, it was May, I think, 2012 I was in New York with my parents for my birthday, we were just having lunch when the aliens came from out of the sky, they killed my parents,” her voice broke in that moment, taking a breath to calm herself she carried on “I was so angry, and stupid, I went to find one of them, I wanted to kill them for what they’d done, thinking back, it was a mistake, reckless and silly. That’s when I ran into the General, next thing I knew I’m here,” she finished with a shrug, but Loki yearned to know more, he reached into her mind silently with all the residual power he could muster, remaining hidden and saw the open gaping wound that was her mind. All her memories were broken, a wretched mess of constant pain and suffering, like a maze of torture and corruption, he pressed on through the thick haze to the strange pulsing light at the epicentre. “How are you doing that?!” she cried, closing her mind abruptly, he snapped back with a jerk. 

“You felt my presence in your mind?” he accused back, defensive and disordered. Closing himself off and mentally berating himself; he was clearly was responsible for the death of this unfortunate mortal’s parents, for her captivation even. The pit of guilt deep within him grew darker within that moment. He hoped that she would never find out the part he played in the invasion. 

“Yes, it felt strange, it wasn’t painful. But I’ve had enough mind invasions to last a lifetime if you don’t mind,” 

“My apologies for your discomfort, I meant no harm,” Grace shook off his apology, uncomfortable and anxious at his kind words, she simply was not used to being apologised to. 

“Loki, who the hell are you? You’re not human right?” she probed, running her hands through her hair best she could, taking her frustration out on her dark tangled tresses. He thought carefully before continuing, this Earth girl wouldn’t know the difference between Asgardian or Jotun. Loki decided to play it safe, presuming she might know of Norse mythology. 

“No, I am not, I’m Asgardian, we are Æsir, Gods,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“Right, Gods, okay,” she pondered, a hint of sarcasm in her voice ”of course you’re a God, Like Heaven? Or Space? Like Him?” she replied slowly her mind ebbing painfully at this point, she lowered herself down onto the hard bed. He sighed, patience thin at her sudden questioning and clearly disingenuous tone “Space is vast Grace, there are many realms. He is from a different realm than I; we are not the same,” he finished cautiously, unsure if they were truly alone his magic was dwindling by the hour meaning a privacy spell seemed overwhelming at this point. 

She was silent then, her breathing low and calm, Loki assumed she was asleep and turned to meditate on the harsh, sodden cot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki learns more about Grace, could this new information possibly work in his favour?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind words and Kudos. You're all amazing! It means so much to me :) Hope you all have a happy new year!

Loki noticed a pattern in the days following, it was evident that Grace’s punishments were getting increasingly worse; perhaps Thanos needed his host pressingly. The poor girl gagged for hours after she was returned, struggling to force air into her clogged lungs, she could barely stay conscious long enough to converse with him. When she was brought back completely out cold, he would invade her mind lightly, testing the surface as to not wake her, whispering calming spells in his wake, diving through layer after layer of subconscious trying to understand the virus that had a hold of her. He tried projecting every language he knew into her mind, attempting in vain to communicate with it, no answer. 

Every time he was jolted back to reality by Thanos’ right hand and his minions, beating him and attacking his mind viciously until his vision clouded dangerously. They would break his bones thrice over, causing sheer agony with each visit, it made him nauseous and, without his magic, had the more than desired effect. At the end of each pounding he was told the same with hands at his throat “Your days are numbered Frost Giant, you will die at the hands of Our Leader. That is a day I truly cannot wait for; to throw your rotting corpse from this mighty vessel,” Loki fell back against the bars, breathing heavily. “Enjoy our hospitality while you can,” the General would sneer as he stalked away. 

Grace woke slowly and opened her eyes; her vision had returned to normal and the pain wasn’t quite as blinding. She stood, testing her muscles for bruising, she felt fine huh? Something isn’t right. 

Feeling baffled she crossed the room to her mirror, she looked the same as yesterday; black vein like markings covering her eyes, leading to her cheeks, the bones prominent there and skin stretched from dehydration. But she wasn’t tired nor was her brain working at its usual sluggish capacity. She felt strong and energised. 

She turned to see Loki slumped again their adjoining bars, blood steadily dripping from his nose, his breathing laboured, she walked over cautiously, not quite believing how alert she felt to be true, she’d had many a vision that was a similar notion. “Loki. Are you okay?” she whispered while drawing closer to his still form. When she neared him, he stirred slightly before succumbing once more. Grace subconsciously realised this the closest she’d ever been to him, they usually sat at opposite ends of their cells. She appreciated the space he gave her. She studied his face, whispering to him again, his brows were furrowed, and his lips pressed together; he looked exhausted. She reached out to wipe the blood from his nose her hand pausing when she noticed a faint glowing from the digit, an orange bright hue radiating from her left index finger. Panicked, she quickly pulled her hand away what the? She reached towards him again, the light emitted brighter the closer she extended. Until her finger made contact with his upper lip. It all happened at once; she felt the familiar swirl of energy flow from the tip of her extremity into him, his body eagerly taking onboard every ounce of power she generously gave, his eyes snapped open in the moment hers began to droop. He swatted her hand away on reflex. “How in Odin’s name did you manage that?” he asked mouth slightly open in shock, feeling the foreign energy pulsing through his body slowing seeping into his core. 

“I don’t know-I didn’t mean to. You were bleeding. I was just trying to help,” she replied, backing out of his reach in case he wanted to hit her. 

“Grace, it’s alright, I’m not going to strike you silly mortal you partially restored my seiðr,” he regarded her blank expression and corrected himself “my magic, sorcery if you will,” at this her whole expression changed from confusion to sheer terror. 

“You can’t tell anyone, they’ll kill me. They asked me yesterday if I had experienced any manifestations and I denied it. They can’t know,” she raised her hands, palms together, Loki compared her to a small child at prayer, seeking a foreigner’s god, the idea pleased him. 

“They won’t, I won’t tell a soul. However, I believe that little gift of yours could be our ticket out of here,” he replied, a mischievous grin spread across his face. 

“There is no way out of here. Don’t you think I would’ve found it by now? So, I can heal? What good will that do us? I’ve been here for God knows how long, if there was a way out of here don’t you think I would’ve tried it?” she answered in hushed tones, her voice becoming annoyed and defensive. 

“It is my belief that you can do more than heal, it seems to be some sort of energy transfer. How about you start by removing this blasted device from my ankle,” he explained, voice low to match hers. Her brow furrowing at his optimistic tone. 

She looked away then, silent for a moment staring at the ground “Loki, how long have I been here?” 

“Truthfully, I know not the answer, my best guess would be that you have been here years. I haven’t been to Midgard in an age,” 

“Years?” her voice small, cracking. 

“Grace, focus. I am going to get us out of here,” he answered, wanting to grasp her by the shoulders and shake. She shook her head violently breathing hard. The door at the end of the corridor smashed open with a loud bang, the General stalked down the hall. “You, up!” he bellowed outside Graces cell. Before they could discuss their impending plan further, she was gone dragged down the hall by the cruel beasts. 

Loki used the time alone to formulate a place of action. It was clear that the virus was stabilising itself, merging in synchronicity with Grace’s form, her recovery from these vile treatments was improving at an impressive rate. Her body would only continue to recover, and she would soon be strong enough to break this vice around his ankle. He would take her with him for the simple fact that if Thanos wanted her, he did. He was extremely interested in the effects of this strange aura on the girl. This manipulation of energy transfer was only the beginning; she would only get more powerful and, in turn, more beneficial to him. With his knowledge of the infinity stones and her raw power, there was a definite opportunity swaying in his favour, perhaps even the slightest chance to redeem himself. Their best bet was impersonation, shape shifting was his best chance at a convincing deceit, after that, locating an escape pod would be child’s play; he could convince one of these useless henchmen to let slip the door codes necessary with a bit of sorcery easily enough. Everything was falling into place, a menacing smile spread across his features. 

To be fair to her, Grace recovered within mere moments of being returned and managed to regain consciousness extraordinarily quick, although her vision was still obviously impaired, taking a little longer to heal “You were saying?” she voiced, slowing rising from the floor, hands massaging her temples. She continued the conversation as if her senseless treatments were nothing but an inconvenience. “Ah yes, you remove this device and I will get us both, safe and well, back to Midgard,” he stated matter-of-factly. Sure, because it’s that simple she thought sarcastically. 

“Right then, how do I know that after that thing is broken you won’t teleport back to Asgard, leaving me to die here?” 

“I am wounded that you think I’m capable of such dishonesty,” He sneered, thinking of his previous deceits with amusement. Without his sorcery there was no way he could influence her mind or bend her will forcefully, in the back of his mind, Loki knew he didn’t want or practically need to force her, he pitied the poor girl, she’d been through enough. In her fragile state convincing her would be an easy enough task as it was. 

“Oh, I know you are, he calls you the failed God of Lies. You must do that quite often to make a name like that for yourself,” she accused, feeling suspicious after her last mental bashing. 

“Tell me, do you believe everything that vile monster tells you, hmm? Give yourself some credit and tell me you don’t,” he cooed sarcastically back. 

“Look at me Loki, I have literally no fucking idea what is real anymore. My mind is in pieces, every decent memory I had was turned to vile fabrications. I just don’t know anymore,” she pulled her arms from around her head and up to the ceiling, as if pleading with some invisible presence. 

“The way I see it, you have two choices ahead of you; one – you can sit idly by and refuse to help, we will stay here for years to come until we eventually die miserable, pathetic deaths. Or two – you can aid me, and we can escape this blasted place where you will return to your precious world and slowly but surely recover from your time in this wretched place. The choice is yours, simple really,” 

“Can I trust you?” she asked him in a small voice her eyes glistening, pleading for honesty in that moment. 

“You can trust me to get you out of this place, I have seen first-hand how difficult this has all been for you, the personal sacrifices you have been forced to make, there are people back on Earth that can help you,” his expression automatically turning dark at the mention of the Avengers, but free of the sceptre and Thanos’ control; Loki could see his sinister part in all of this. Although he wasn’t quite willing to give an apology just yet mind, his brother and friends weren’t entirely blameless. 

Grace let out a heavy sigh at that moment, her mind felt like a tornado had hit, a flurry of questions raided her brain, trying to force their way out, but in that moment, one solid answer came forward even if I can’t trust him, I have nothing left to lose. Trust him completely? Of course not, there were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding him. But it was only a matter of time before the General realised that she was recovering; getting stronger she had already denied the powers she had acquired. When that moment came, she would become a weapon in his plans. She didn’t want to be a part of them, she knew he controlled the Chitauri. In New York they had killed 100’s-including he parents-as if it was nothing. Grace would rather die than aid them. “Okay, we may as well try,”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any comments for me, I'd love to know what you think!  
> Jess


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